Raquel Gonzalez wrote:
Is "bigger" better ? Should I get the biggest reflector I can ?

Depends. How are you holding and positioning it? Is portability a concern? How much coverage do you need?

Raquel Gonzalez wrote:
Should I get the 5 in 1 type ?  What would I use each of the 5 "types" for ?

http://www.photoflexlightingschool.com/ … index.html

Raquel Gonzalez wrote:
I'm going to B&H today to pick up a reflector ..
I've never used one, so I have a few questions.

Is "bigger" better ?  Should I get the biggest reflector I can ?
Should I get the 5 in 1 type ?  What would I use each of the 5 "types" for ?

I would definitely recommend the 5 in 1. It is very versitile for many situations. They usually have a gold to warm up the light and silver to give a natural reflection.
The black is good to absorb excess light. Translucent is great to diffuse the suns natural light and make it softer. As far as size Its really up to you. I am glad I bought a big one. You wont be disappointed with the 5 in 1.
I hope this helps you.

Raquel Gonzalez wrote:
Hey Mike & JFM - thanks for answering
I will probably end up getting a 'stand' for it  - for the studio
and I'll have an assistant for 'outdoor' shoots - so it needs to be collapsible ..

I think I want a oval/rectangular one as opposed to a round one (I have no idea why..)
Something like this :  link to b&h

Thanks for that other link - I'm off to read it

Good luck! I need to get stand too. I wish I did before.
I kind of wish I got the oval one also. Oh well, Happy snapping!

JFM Photography wrote:

Good luck! I need to get stand too. I wish I did before.
I kind of wish I got the oval one also. Oh well, Happy snapping!

Don't get that stand from Amvona. They make a couple of great light stands but the reflector stand came with a substandard arm.

Jason McKendricks wrote:

Don't get that stand from Amvona. They make a couple of great light stands but the reflector stand came with a substandard arm.

Thanks for the Tip Jason!
I appreciate that.

Jason McKendricks wrote:
I have a giant rounded rectangle 5-in1 I got on Ebay for around $50. I love it! Big ones are cool since they obviously reflect more light and I can do more full length body shots. The downside is it's fairly heavy. If you do a lot of outdoor work I reccomend a 5-in1 since the diffusion screen is handy to have.

I also have a 32 inch gold/silver reflector that was under $20 from a different seller on Ebay. I use it on stands since it is lighter and also use it for closeups.

Hope this helps

Thanks !

So ... no reflector on a windy day outside .. especially being that my assistant is 5'1 and she weighs less than my 30D + 24-70 + ring light ...     Well, unless I get a few 'sandbags' for her

Question about the diffision panel .. Can I use it 'apart' from the reflector or is everything "connected" ?  (basically, can I have one person hold the reflector and one person hold the diffusion panel) ?

I really think I'm going to go for the one I linked above..

Raquel Gonzalez wrote:

Thanks !

So ... no reflector on a windy day outside .. especially being that my assistant is 5'1 and she weighs less than my 30D + 24-70 + ring light ...     Well, unless I get a few 'sandbags' for her

Question about the diffision panel .. Can I use it 'apart' from the reflector or is everything "connected" ?  (basically, can I have one person hold the reflector and one person hold the diffusion panel) ?

I really think I'm going to go for the one I linked above..

The diffusion panel is covered by the "reflector jacket". The jacket is reversible so you get four colors and it zips around the diffision panel/ frame. In theory you could use the reflector jacket seperately if you had a way to stretch it out or some other frame to put inside of it.

And your assistant would be fine holding the bg reflector on a windy day. When I said it's heavy I meant for some stands.

JFM Photography wrote:

I would definitely recommend the 5 in 1. It is very versitile for many situations. They usually have a gold to warm up the light and silver to give a natural reflection.
The black is good to absorb excess light. Translucent is great to diffuse the suns natural light and make it softer. As far as size Its really up to you. I am glad I bought a big one. You wont be disappointed with the 5 in 1.
I hope this helps you.

Be careful telling people that silver gives you "natural" light.  Infact, silver gives almost a flash feel.  It has the most reflective power of any of them yet it also causes harsh shadows just like a silver umbrella in a studio.  Sometimes I like using the white side.  I think it gives the most natural light plus it creates much softer shadows than the silver.  Generally....silver for fashion or when the light is very low and you need to reflect all you can.  White for portraits.

Apfel Photography wrote:

Be careful telling people that silver gives you "natural" light.  Infact, silver gives almost a flash feel.  It has the most reflective power of any of them yet it also causes harsh shadows just like a silver umbrella in a studio.  Sometimes I like using the white side.  I think it gives the most natural light plus it creates much softer shadows than the silver.  Generally....silver for fashion or when the light is very low and you need to reflect all you can.  White for portraits.

I agree. The silver is a contrasty kind of light. I use it for product photos sometimes and for a "cool" feeling. Other than that, I don't use the silver side much.

Apfel Photography wrote:
OK, I don't mean to be mean....but this is about the 20th thread I have seen from photographers about, "what kind of reflector should I get" even though they have a portfolio full of studio images.

How is this possible?  You don't use these things in your studio already?  How can they do studio work for as long as they have, say they a "professional studio, fashion, glamour...etc" photographer yet not have the same understanding of reflectors as say a UV filter?

I'm being to anal aren't I? 

Actually I used large pieces of white and black foamcore for two years before using reflectors.

Jason McKendricks wrote:

Actually I used large pieces of white and black foamcore for two years before using reflectors.

Whatever...I still do.  My wifes family own a freight forwarding company and they have hundred of these 12ft by 5ft by 1.5 inch foam board.  I can literally create a white room with those things.

Malloch wrote:
I may be a little late with this. A good reflector is a simple space/survival blanket available at most camping stores. They fold, are easily to carry on location and cheap. They can be got having one side silver and the other side gold.

I know a studio operator that uses a silver one and it cost him just about $3?

Malloch wrote:
I may be a little late with this. A good reflector is a simple space/survival blanket available at most camping stores. They fold, are easily to carry on location and cheap. They can be got having one side silver and the other side gold.

Oh no, not one of these..."buy a silver sheet, then some pvc piping...etc" themes.  The fact is, you ca buy a 41' by 74' 5-1 collapsible for $70.  By the time you get done buying all that fabric and the piping, you have spent as much or more.  Plus, you look goofy walking down the street with it.

If it were as goo, worked as well, was as easy to use and was so much cheaper, every pro would use it as well.  But it isn't.  Reflectors are so dar cheap these days it is just silly not to buy a real one.

terrysphotocountry wrote:
I know a studio operator that uses a silver one and it cost him just about $3?

I got one on eBay for 99cents.  Just look for acutions that end at weird times in the middle of the night or while everyone else is working.

QLP!

terrysphotocountry wrote:

I know a studio operator that uses a silver one and it cost him just about $3?

Are you kidding me?  If I walked into a professional studio and the studio manager pulled out a survival sheet, I would ask for my studio fee back and leave.  Any studio worth shooting at would never stock a studio with home made gear.  Especially seeing that they are charging anything from $700 per half day (bring your own gear) to upwards of $5000.00 a day (gear included).

Apfel Photography wrote:
Oh no, not one of these..."buy a silver sheet, then some pvc piping...etc" themes.  The fact is, you ca buy a 41' by 74' 5-1 collapsible for $70.  By the time you get done buying all that fabric and the piping, you have spent as much or more.  Plus, you look goofy walking down the street with it.

If it were as goo, worked as well, was as easy to use and was so much cheaper, every pro would use it as well.  But it isn't.  Reflectors are so dar cheap these days it is just silly not to buy a real one.

Why spend $70 on something that one can get for $3.00 I have three survival blankets that I have used for over 10 years, they fold and pack into my normal camera bag, weight about 1/2 a pound and I use simple plastic rods that click together to support them, the rods cost a total of $15. So for 10 years use they cost me a total of $24.00. However, if you would rather spend $210.00 then go ahead.
As to professional studios not using home made gear I beg to differ. I have worked for many major international television/film production companies (BBC London, Center TV Moscow, Singapore TV, NTV Japan, TNT,etc) and all have used gear they made themselves. If it does the job use it.

Malloch wrote:
Why spend $70 on something that one can get for $3.00 I have three survival blankets that I have used for over 10 years, they fold and pack into my normal camera bag, weight about 1/2 a pound and I use simple plastic rods that click together to support them, the rods cost a total of $15. So for 10 years use they cost me a total of $24.00. However, if you would rather spend $210.00 then go ahead.
As to professional studios not using home made gear I beg to differ. I have worked for many major international television/film production companies (BBC London, Center TV Moscow, Singapore TV, NTV Japan, TNT,etc) and all have used gear they made themselves. If it does the job use it.

That is crap.  If the device does not exsist then the BBC will make something themself.  But they do not go out and buy survival sheets instead of buying a reflector.  Before LightSphere, all of us have taken white plastic tub-a-ware and cut a hole for our flashes.  But I bet you will not see many professional photographers out there with a light diffuser by Hefty on their flashes any more.

The fact is, you spend thousands on your lights, thousands on your lenses, thousands on your camera bodies, thousands on your computer and software.  You spend hundreds on your lightstand bags.  Easy portablity, breakdown, set-up and storage are key to most photographers out there.  How is a $70 a big deal.  Like you said, you spent $25 for yours, but you only have silver and gold.  These are ones I use about 30% of the time.  What about black absortion, white reflector, white diffusing panel.  For $45 more, you get it all.

Apfel Photography wrote:
OK, I don't mean to be mean....but this is about the 20th thread I have seen from photographers about, "what kind of reflector should I get" even though they have a portfolio full of studio images.

How is this possible?  You don't use these things in your studio already?  How can they do studio work for as long as they have, say they are a "professional studio, fashion, glamour...etc" photographer yet not have the same understanding of reflectors as most photographers have on say a UV filter?

I'm being to anal aren't I? 

lol - dude, it`s not like I'm asking what ISO to use ... this is a tool that I haven't felt I've needed ... until now.

summer is here, and I want to do some more outdoor stuff - I figured a reflector along with my  2 580ex speedlights may be an economical alternative to a powerpack for my strobes.

I asked because I wanted 'real world experience' from people who are using them (ie. what size. etc)

what are UV filters ?

ok I'm TOTALLY kidding   even though I don't use them

Raquel Gonzalez wrote:
lol - dude, it`s not like I'm asking what ISO to use ... this is a tool that I haven't felt I've needed ... until now.

summer is here, and I want to do some more outdoor stuff - I figured a reflector along with my  2 580ex speedlights may be an economical alternative to a powerpack for my strobes.

I asked because I wanted 'real world experience' from people who are using them (ie. what size. etc)

what are UV filters ?

ok I'm TOTALLY kidding   even though I don't use them

You don't use UV filters?  I think the number one reason for them is to protect the front optic of your lense.  If you scratch your lense, it will always hurt you.  Better to destroy a $20 UV filter than a $1000 lense.

Other than that, if you are shooting full length model shots, I would go with the 74x41. Nothing worse than the waist up being 2 stops brighter than the waist down.

Apfel Photography wrote:
You don't use UV filters?  I think the number one reason for them is to protect the front optic of your lense.  If you scratch your lense, it will always hurt you.  Better to destroy a $20 UV filter than a $1000 lense.

Other than that, if you are shooting full length model shots, I would go with the 74x41. Nothing worse than the waist up being 2 stops brighter than the waist down.

see I figured putting a $20 piece of plastic on a $1200 lens is like putting a yugo engine in a ferrari  ...  am I wrong ?

Jason McKendricks wrote:

Don't get that stand from Amvona. They make a couple of great light stands but the reflector stand came with a substandard arm.

Hmm I am very happy with the reflector arm I got from Amvona.  Though I did just get the arm maybe its a different one then the arm and stand kit.  Plus I got the arm for $6 pluse shipping and the 3' oval reflector for $6 and could not be more happy with both quality and service.  Never had a problem with Amvona.  One point is check dimensions.  Bought a reflector from them for $4 and well it is huge!  its 5x4' and non colapsable...... makes a cool wall decoration.

Raquel Gonzalez wrote:
see I figured putting a $20 piece of plastic on a $1200 lens is like putting a yugo engine in a ferrari  ...  am I wrong ?

Huh....plastic?  UV filters are glass.  Well, I guess they could make plastic ones....just never actually seen one.  A UV filter does not impact how a lense performs.  In many cases, it helps the lense perform better.  Especially whe shooting outdoors.

Apfel Photography wrote:
The fact is, you spend thousands on your lights, thousands on your lenses, thousands on your camera bodies, thousands on your computer and software.  You spend hundreds on your lightstand bags.  Easy portablity, breakdown, set-up and storage are key to most photographers out there.  How is a $70 a big deal.  Like you said, you spent $25 for yours, but you only have silver and gold.  These are ones I use about 30% of the time.  What about black absortion, white reflector, white diffusing panel.  For $45 more, you get it all.

$70 is a lot of money to some people, especially just starting out.  The attitude that you have to spend exorbitant amounts of money on every piece of gear is just silly and unrealistic.  $70 for someone just out of college is like a month or more of groceries. (Or a TON of wardrobe and props from the Dollar Store and Salvation Army.)

I can't make my own strobes.  I don't have the electronics know how.  Therefore I spend money on them.  The fact that I dropped a lot of cash for that isn't a reason in and of itself for me to spend money on something I can make myself.

This logic is equivalent to "Well I just spent $10,000 on rent this year.  I might as well drop $100 for dinner every night."

Matt the Photographer wrote:
but i wont do a shoot out side without one.

I always forget stuff, and that is one of the things I forget.  I intended to use it this weekend and I got everything except that.  shots still rocked.  but still, would have rocked harder if I had the reflector